New Year's Resolutions

Not sure about you, but I have made a (long) list of resolutions almost every year as far back as I can remember. Some of these are usually spur of the moment ideas that fall by the wayside fairly early in January. Like the time I considered taking singing lessons. I quickly decided there was no need to waste any money investing in my particular instrument.

Another favorite resolution of mine is to lose 5 pounds. This shows up on every list (and yes, I do save them!) from the late 90's through last year. Well, last year I went absolutely bananas over the holidays and ended up with more than 5 pounds to lose. And my subsequent weight loss journey was the impetus for starting up this blog. After experimenting with several varieties of diets, each for at least a full month, I felt that I had enough first hand information to share with the world.

This year, I am hoping not to have quite so many pounds to lose (yet again!) once the holiday season passes. But I do know that I plan to spend the month of January returning to the pristine plan I followed back in September. I called it the Whole Foods Challenge, and I challenged my readers to improve their diets by reducing or eliminating refined carbs while increasing whole foods like veggies and fruits. Although most "whole foodies" might include whole grains on their list, I eliminated all grains, alcohol, and all forms of refined sugar and sweeteners for the month. The end result was that I learned I did not NEED that sweet treat at all! And my weight dropped to a number I thought I'd never see again on any scale.

Needless to say, I did not continue my pristine ways once the Whole Foods Challenge ended. This year, I hope to be a bit more consistent. I don't think it is ridiculous, or even detrimental, to have an occasional splurge. But after January, I am planning to limit my splurges to one dinner out per month. If you are young, very active, or just blessed with a fabulous metabolism, you may be able to splurge more often than me. Some lucky people can have a cheat meal once a week and still lose weight. I am not one of them.

Besides sticking more consistently to my sugar-free plan, I also want to meditate daily. This has shown up before on my list of resolutions, and has never stuck. I think I just need to set a time in my daily schedule when I will be able to spend a few minutes alone.

If you are planning to make some resolutions this year, I'd love to hear about them. And if there is a way I can support you in your goals, I'd be happy to lend a hand.

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